With his triple century Virender Sehwag is surely in illustrious company of two batsman - Sir Donald Bradman and Brian Charles Lara - arguably considered the best of their generation. So it is natural to see if Sehwag belongs to their league. Is he a better batsman than the Indian great Tendulkar (or a Dravid)?. Sehwag scored two triples as an opener, so should we compare him to Sunil Gavaskar? Lets get some things straight. Sehwag is very very different batsman from all the above players. His batting technique (or the lack of) is purely simple. If he sees the ball is there to be hit, he will go ahead irrespective of the match situation and his personal score. This is what separates him from the rest. I have seen Tendulkar scrap through to 100's as if it was his first. I have heard about how Gavaskar valued 100's so much that he put his individual records ahead of the team. I have seen Lara go to 100's with relative ease and style. But I dare you to show me a batsman who actually increases his pace to reach a milestone in style. That is what sets Sehwag apart from others. Can you imagine a batsman going to 100 with a 6 in test cricket. If that is audacious consider going to 200 (your first!!) with a 6. Well Sehwag tried that against Simon Katich in Melbourne and failed. Yes he got out on 195. Did it change anything? No. As simple as that. The fact that he failed going for an attacking stroke to reach 200 did not change his approach to cricket. That is what separates Sehwag from the rest. In delivering entertainment to the audience he is second to none! He reached his first 300 with a 6! I mean what if he gets out on 295? That is the ultimate fearlessness that characterizes his cricket. That is what people like me love about him. He lives by the sword and dies by it. He epitomizes everything that I would have chosen in a batsman - a pure instinctive genius - with gift of hand-eye coordination that mere mortals can dream of.
Next, so what does his 300 do to him in the ranks of Indian batsman (tests only). As long as my knowledge of cricket allows the greatest batsman India have produced after the 1970's include Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Tendulkar, Viswanath, Azharuddin, Laxman, and Dravid (in no particular order). After his innings yesterday, he surely will find a place in any all-time Indian test side as an opener (yes - stop giving me the crap about his weakness against swing and bounce - he has centuries in Australia and South Africa to prove you wrong). Don't get me wrong here. I am not for once saying he is better than any of the players above. All I am saying is he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath from now on for his achievements.
Only time will tell if he will be regarded as an Indian great by cricket historians, but for people who have watched the innings in Chennai I am absolutely sure that none of them are going to forget it in a hurry. Isn't that the most important thing in a sport? Give people moments to cherish forever!
I am so happy I watched his batting live. It will be right up there as one of the best sporting moments in my life! I hope Sehwag has some more innings like this left. He is only 29, the age when many batsman peak. So, I hope the peak continues for some years!!
Next, so what does his 300 do to him in the ranks of Indian batsman (tests only). As long as my knowledge of cricket allows the greatest batsman India have produced after the 1970's include Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Tendulkar, Viswanath, Azharuddin, Laxman, and Dravid (in no particular order). After his innings yesterday, he surely will find a place in any all-time Indian test side as an opener (yes - stop giving me the crap about his weakness against swing and bounce - he has centuries in Australia and South Africa to prove you wrong). Don't get me wrong here. I am not for once saying he is better than any of the players above. All I am saying is he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath from now on for his achievements.
Only time will tell if he will be regarded as an Indian great by cricket historians, but for people who have watched the innings in Chennai I am absolutely sure that none of them are going to forget it in a hurry. Isn't that the most important thing in a sport? Give people moments to cherish forever!
I am so happy I watched his batting live. It will be right up there as one of the best sporting moments in my life! I hope Sehwag has some more innings like this left. He is only 29, the age when many batsman peak. So, I hope the peak continues for some years!!
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